Masquerades in Society

Masquerades in society is my chosen topic for my Research Project. Masquerades in society, my understanding of the concept, is to cover up one’s true self as almost a defence mechanism. Masquerades may vary from adopting an alter ego to simply presenting a filtered version of one’s actual self. This essay will grapple with whether there are benefits to be had from assuming a masquerade of some sort. Masquerades in society interested me as a topic because as a teenager struggling to discover herself it seemed reasonable to debate how much of myself I need to show in order to survive today’s society. I have selected Rafa , the autobiography of tennis champion – Rafael Nadal. I have also chosen The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern , Moffie by Andre Carl van der Merwe and My life as a Fake by Peter Corey . The movie I have selected is the Truman Show. I selected the autobiography of Rafael Nadal as it describes the mask the athlete wears on the tennis court in order to disguise his nerves and fears not only from his opponent but himself. I decided on the chosen text; The Night Circus as it confronts the problems and benefits of disguising the truth with a semblance. I selected the novel Moffie as it shows the hardships of a person being forced to hide their genuine self. My Life as a Fake deals with the consequences of lying about one’s real identity and the pain it can cause even if the reason for the pretence was to discover the truth. The Truman Show is my chosen movie as it approaches my concept from a different angle. It allows one to understand how a person is affected when their own real self is compromised without their knowledge.
In society a masquerade of one’s self is necessary for one’s success. This opinion appears to be accurate in the Rafael Nadal autobiography, Rafa. As the story of Nadals’ victories are revealed it is evident that adopting a masquerade has been key to his great success. An examination of his different levels of deception will be discussed and how closely they are linked to his success.
A masquerade for Nadal has been clearly evident as a winning formula in the game of tennis. Tennis greats such as Nadal have described, “The difference between victory and defeat lies not in physical strength or native ability but in having the psychological edge.” Nadal puts on a game face which is to wear a serious expression when you are playing and to portray has few negative emotions as possible so to reflect the attitude of persistence and professional discipline. Nadal explains that his key to success is that; “you have to cage yourself in protective armour, turn yourself into a bloodless warrior. It’s kind of a self-hypnosis, a game you play, with deadly seriousness, to disguise your own weakness from yourself, as well as your rival.” Nadal counterfeits his nerves by putting human feelings on hold to adopt an almost gladiatorial presence which intimidates his opponents and gives him the mental strength. It is clear that a combination of mental toughness and raw talent that has allowed for this champion to dominate the tennis world.
The masquerade Nadal transforms into obviously is not a simple as flipping a switch but takes routine and preparation. Preparation for Nadal does not only mean physical training but “getting his head in order”, whether it is in the change room or before the next point. Nadal has to lock up any emotions that could distract from his game and, “that is why he has to arm himself with courage in the build-up to a big game, why he does what he does inside the locker room, willing himself into a personality change, bottling up his inherent fears and the nerves of the moment before releasing the gladiator within.” Nadal proved in 2008 Wimbledon final that “ getting his head in order for the biggest match of his life” proved to be a successful as not only did the crowd feel his warrior presence but he also rattled Roger Federer who has been described to be the greatest tennis player in the open era.
In addition to Nadal’s great transformation it would not be possible to take up this mental state continuously and so Nadal’s humanness should be recognized. Nadal’s mother; “never ceases to be amazed by the incoherence between how brave he is on the tennis court and how fear-ridden off it”. Nadal has admitted that he has not mastered his masquerade in isolating himself from his environment and from his fears. “Nadal does not entirely shed his Clark Kent persona on court; the transformation to superman, willed as it is and convincing as it looks, is not complete. He is more cautious than you might think on court.” Nadal does struggle with keeping up such a strong mental front but as described would be a machine programmed to keep such a frame of mind in check. Nadal does not always manage to hold his masquerade all the time but when it comes down to the defining moment, he has achieved great goals and unbelievable records.
Rafael Nadal does use a masquerade to hide his true emotions from himself and opponent to allow him to play with a clear head and intimidating his rival with his warrior presence. What seem like compulsive superstitions build him up to this masquerade which has proven to be a key factor in his undeniable victories.
In society to masquerade one’s true self is to also manipulate the perception of others as it is easier to comprehend. This can be outweighed though by the idea that masquerades will result in a society which is unable to distinguish between what is real and fake. These opinions are debated in the novel The Night Circus. This examination of text will discuss how these facades have destroyed the possibility of discovering an actual truth, why it is easier to adopt a false self and how perception can be simply manipulated.
When people are deceived by masquerades it results in the inability of any society to believe the actual truth when it is discovered. “The concern of not being able to be certain if anything is real”, reinforces the point that how can anything be believed if it can be easily deceived. This is an ignored issue in most societies concerning religion, morals and trust which cannot easily be proved to be established as true. The battle between real and fake in a society is also evident in believing who and what is real when a person who has seemed genuine turns out to be the fake, it becomes difficult to determine if another person so engrossed in the lie is also fake, “You appear the same way to me, so which one of us is real?” Distinguishing between real and fake may at first allow an easier option or scapegoat but when “it cannot believed to be entirely real”; it becomes a place lost in the confusion of the truth.
Although the confusion of the truth around a person may work to their advantage as giving false information may allow for the person to be easily misread and their intentions expected to be pure. “It’s not his real name, not one that he has carried with him always. It’s one he wears like a hat. So he can take it off if he wants.” This masquerade allows him to hide his true name so his true identity, the disguise can therefore been changed and manipulated to give the impression of what is wanted. This swopping of identities allows people to see what they want to see and gives the person with multiple identities the advantage to achieve his goals. This when or if the truth is ever discovered is often frowned upon but the novel points out, “He is quite skilled at manipulation. Did you not once lie to people yourself, telling them only what they wish to hear?” This quotation suggests that every person will have lied or hidden something about them in order to get ahead and so multiple identities could be an aspect of everyone’s true self. This alter ego could also so easily accepted into society as it easier for people to accept and believe. “People see what they wish to see. And in most cases, what they are told that they see. Aspects in life are indeed overwhelming and instead of attempting to understand it, “They would write the off as evil than attempt to understand them. An unfortunate truth, but a truth nonetheless.” The masquerade a person wears may be an alter ego but it may benefit them in their endeavours and the only truth in this exchange is the knowledge of this masquerade.
Adopting an alter ego when people choose to understand and do not “wish to be forced into such deceptions” Hiding one’s usually flaws is often used as a defence mechanism. The false impression people believe they give out is the best version of themselves but this novel counter acts this opinion with saying that “you pretend to be less than you are”. The quotation suggests that people hide these self-determined flaws without realising these flaws hold value. The decision to hide one’s self is therefore conflicted as one has to protect themselves. The novel’s solution is to find the person who would be able to handle one’s true self, “I am only doing this for you. The rest of them will see me as they always have.”
Regardless of whether it is best to hide true emotions it seems as if making the unbelievable believable has become increasingly easier. This has become evident as proving a false self can only be virtually possible, “I remember impressions more than actualities”. To show a false self to appear true ironically requires a person to be less than perfect as that is the only way for it to seem real, “Can’t be too good if I want them to believe I am as fake as the rest of them.” The way to easily manipulate perception is “to make it seem as though none of it is purposeful.” Disguising one’s self through a masquerade has become increasingly accessible as first impressions of a person can be displayed through technology and so “ making the artificial feel natural” as it more believable through a screen.
The Night Circus deals with the ability to distinguish what is real and fake by grappling with the façade. These issues are particularly centred on the idea of using the manipulations of perception for personal gain or to help people be ignorant of the truth through deception. These debates in the book cannot be exactly proven wrong or right as it depends on the person; if they choose to understand or to believe what they see.
During the Apartheid era a masquerade was necessary for a white male in order to survive the years conscripted into the army. The cover up of true emotions within the time period spent in the army is evident in the novel, Moffie, to cause great amount of pain but does prove to be necessary to escape much worse realities. This concept will be explored with in relation to the novel through Nicholas and dealing with his homosexuality as a child and in the army and with Dylan who reserved himself to the extent of suicide.
Nicholas van der Swart was raised in a very religious home where the idea of homosexuality was a disgrace; he then went on to the army where the same values were extended. Nicholas had to deal with his true emotions by covering them up and it proved to be necessary while causing tremendous pain. Nicholas described, “I’m so terrified of being discovered that I will obsess about it. If I’m found out my life will be ruined. This quote describes how Nicholas felt to his time at home before the army. He believes that he must adopt this pretence due to previous experiences which have indicated worse consequences if his masquerade is revealed. Nicolas’s father is part of the Dutch Reformed Church which is completely opposed to homosexuality and so throughout the descriptions of home from Nicolas the speech on how this is a sin and Nicolas would be kicked out of home or beaten up if he showed any signs of femininity. Nicholas’s teacher at school is severely attacked, arrested and fired for his sexuality. This event is deeply traumatic for Nicolas leading him to the conclusion that, “with sadness I realise I have no friends here, for if they had to know who or what I really am, they would despise me.” Nicholas’s childhood experiences suggest that if not for the masquerade he adopted he would have faced much worse pain.
This is furthermore evident in the time Nicholas spent in the army. This is believed to be true as if he were to admit to his sexuality he would be sent to Ward Twenty-Two were he would be tortured for his “illness”. Nicolas could not give into what he was feeling as would have to deal with the crude name calling and beatings from the people who are supposed to be watching his back in war. This is distinguishable when two men in his platoon are found kissing and are bullied emotionally and physically. Nicholas even admits it to himself that “If I allow myself to give into my feelings, everything will spiral out of control.” This quote reinforces the idea that even if Nicolas is lonely and desperate it could not compare to the harsh realities if he had to reveal his true self and therefore a masquerade is needed.
This contradicted in some ways with the idea of Nicolas’s friend, Dylan who also was homosexual. Dylan although did not completely hide is homosexuality but reserved some aspects of it. Nicolas describes his relationship with Dylan that “He would rather you discover the matrix of his hidden self”. Suspicions of the men who despised the idea of homosexuality meant the brutal mocking Dylan. Dylan was overwhelmed by the harshness of not only his “comrades” but supposed leaders and so committed suicide. Nicolas was deeply scared by this incident, “Some of use even flirts with reality, but most of us just plod along blindly and then … it ends and we all fall off. We call it death. This quote suggests that until one is ready to find death and admit to the reality of one’s true emotion a masquerade must be adopted to ‘plod’ along through life with.
The novel Moffie , encourages that even though there might be hardship dealing with a secret that you have been raised to believe is one of the deadliest sins it must be done a masquerade is necessary. This masquerade must continue until it is safe to free oneself from the cruel laws where disgustingly worse consequences occur.
Creating an alter ego or adopting a masquerade even to seek out the truth will result in harsh consequences .In the examination of My Life as a Fake the theme of reputation will be explored through the character of Christopher Chubb, the consequences of creating a hoax through the character of Bob McCorkle and the benefits of creating a fake identity in the character Sarah Wode-Douglass.
Christopher Chubb claims to hate dishonesty but when trying to seek out the truth by creating a hoax – he is remembered as the fake. Chubb says “I do not lie” and “Think what you like, I set out to prove the truth”. These lines prove to be ironic as Chubb wanted to prove a point and by adopting this alter ego is remembered for only the hoax in which he created instead of discovering the truth which was his ultimate motive. “So you see how bad it is that I am remembered for as a fake”. “When they called me a fake he never once doubted me” Chubb says when referring to the man he hoaxed with fake poetry but when he went to his house to resurface the truth “He said I was a fake”. It is also suggested through the character of Chubb when he says “Let me guess, you are a fraud” that after becoming a fake one becomes paranoid because of the masquerade they so easily adopted. The character of Christopher Chubb demonstrates that even when the truth is sought after by taking on a fake identity one will not be trusted by society and one’s self.
Bob McCorkle is the author of the hoax poetry which is then adopted by an actual person so therefore making the fake identity a real person. The first consequence of the hoax is when David Weiss, the man who was sent fake poetry, sees the person Bob McCorkle in court. Weiss then sees Chubb when trying to tell the truth says that he made up the fictional character Bob McCorkle. This overwhelming confusion leads Weiss to commit suicide. The person Bob McCorkle claimed that Chubb “made my life a joke” and so had to move away “where I live I am not a joke at all, not a fake in any way” because of the hoax. McCorkle returns to kidnap Chubb’s baby with the reason that Chubb by making his life a joke took away his childhood and by taking his baby he will regain a childhood. The novel shows adopting a masquerade, no matter the extremity, there will be consequences.
This is contradicted through the character of Sarah who does show benefits to the masquerade created. David Weiss like Sarah were both poetry magazine editors so relating to troubles of Weiss was easy. Chubb pointed out that it took six months for his poetry to be rejected by Weiss but the fake poetry of McCorkle took all of seven days to be accepted. Sarah then further exclaims after reading both the real and fake poetry “if this was his real poetry, then I preferred the fake”. Sarah when recording the hoax noted that “ given Chubb’s history of trickery I felt it unwise to proceed too eagerly. And that is how I became a fake myself, pretending that I would ‘write him up’.” Sarah through deceiving Chubb would be able to obtain the fake preferred poetry for her magazine.
The character of Sarah shows a side to the masquerade that would assist anyone adopting it but these benefits do not seem to outweigh the consequences of the façade. The fake identity led to the death of David Weiss, a child being kidnapped, the death of Bob McCorkle and a lost Christopher Chubb living in poverty with a resenting daughter. These events do seem to outweigh the idea of a good issue of a poetry magazine and therefore could be said that the taking on a masquerade will result badly.
Living within a fantasy that you are unaware that is created for you is the better than knowing the harsh realities of the real world. This statement is debated in the movie the Truman Show and is ultimately decided against when Truman Burbank makes the decision to leave this “made up” world. The study of this movie will be explored in the argument of which is better the masquerade of a perfect world or the real world , if people are choosing to ignore the truth in a world revolving around masquerades and if fake has become boring.
One of the arguments introduced in the Truman Show is reality versus fantasy. The creator of Truman Burbank’s world exclaims in an interview “I have given Truman a chance to lead a normal life .The world, the place in which you live is the sick place. Sea Haven is the way it should be” , Christof , the creator has placed Truman in a world which is controlled an so a choice can be taken to if something terrible were to happen where in reality horrible things happen to people on a regular basis without anyone’s control. The actor posing as Truman‘s best friend says ‘It’s all true. It’s all real. Nothing is fake nothing you see on this show is fake. It is merely controlled.” This reinforces the idea that Truman is able to live a normal life while having the advantage of not having the harsh realities of life. The creator when trying to convince Truman to stay suggests the idea that “There is no more truth out there than in the world I have created for you. The same lies, the same deceit. But in my world you have nothing to fear.” In this instance living in this fake world while having the same masquerades as the real one without the dangers seems like an ideal world.
This is however contradicted in the Truman Show with the numerous amounts of characters trying to tell Truman the truth about his life and the idea that he is the only thing that is real in a world of deceit. Truman not knowing the truth seems to have a detrimental impact on him as he starts ‘losing his mind’. Truman lives a life where people are forced to be nice to him and he discover his wife crossing her fingers on their wedding day indicating that it is not real and his best friend promising the truth when he is lying .These incidents therefore indicate that living in a pretend world where everything is chosen for you is like living in “prison cell” that one cannot break out of.
Truman living in this controlled world comes across many things that would indicate the lie that is taking place but only much later in life starts to question it. There are incidents on set such as a light falling from the sky, the elevator missing to reveal a backstage crew and people breaking onto set. The creator points out to a caller trying to prove that what they are doing with Truman is cruel, “He could leave at any time. If it was more than just a vague ambition, if he was absolutely determined to discover the truth, there is no way we would prevent him”. This questions if this is what is happening to society if people are choosing to be ignorant in order to live a simpler life. The creator proves this when asked why Truman has taken so long to question the world around him; “We accept the reality of the world which we are presented.” The world is filled with lies and deceits and the Truman Show points out that it could be societies fault as it chooses to accept it.
The Truman Show was created because “We have become bored with actors giving us phoney emotions”, and so placing someone in a fake world it makes him seem completely real. Masquerades seemed to have already become overused and things such as reality televisions have been introduced. The show is described “it isn’t always Shakespeare but its genuine”, and that is what people want to see more of because is seems to be the only truth in a world filled with perfect fakes. Truman asks the creator if his entire world was fake when he is about to leave it and receives the answer that “You were real. It’s what made it so good to watch.” This therefore suggests that in a world which has become so centred on masquerades, society is now searching for reality.
The Truman Show provides a different perspective on the concept of masquerades in society as it demonstrates that if given the choice people would choose to live dangerously and with fear then living in a world where they are safe but are in a masquerade.

Masquerades in society was my chosen topic for my research assignment. Exploring various aspects of each chosen source was explored through the concepts of the need for a masquerade for success, the manipulation of perception, if a façade is truly necessary in order to survive certain situations, if seeking the truth through a masquerade will bring consequences and fantasy versus reality when unaware of the truth. Each text supplied a different conclusion for the argument if a masquerade is needed to handle the world. Through the examined texts it proves to be that adopting a masquerade will always have consequences and it is the choice of the person if they are willing to deal with the results of their masquerade.